Privilege Query

[charlottezweb]

Edited to add: Based on an exercise developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate in this blog game, PLEASE acknowledge their copyright. MARK WHICH APPLY TO YOU.

I saw a questionnaire about privilege on pleonastic's journal and wanted to take a look at it over here. The questions have to do with one's life growing up. Evidently, in the original execution of the exercise, groups of students were told to stand in a line and take a step forward for every applicable statement. I'm glad I never had to do that because I'd be embarrassed. For the same reason I don't tell people from around here where I went to school. I also feel, for reasons I can't articulate, uncomfortable with their criteria for privilege, but I suppose that goes back to the arguments over a clear definition of class, and perhaps my discomfort with the results.

*Father went to college
*Father finished college
*Mother went to college
*Mother finished college
*Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor.
*Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers
*Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
*Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
*Were read children's books by a parent
*Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18
*Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
*The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively
Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18
Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs (after scholarship/grant)
*Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs (after scholarship/grant)
*Went to a private high school
*Went to summer camp
*Had a private tutor before you turned 18
*Family vacations involved staying at hotels
*Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them
*There was original art in your house when you were a child
*Had a phone in your room before you turned 18
*You and your family lived in a single family house
Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home
*You had your own room as a child
*Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course
*Had your own TV in your room in High School
*Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College
*Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
Went on a cruise with your family
Went on more than one cruise with your family
*Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up
*You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family

Comments

[dr-brat.livejournal.com]

I participated in a 6 week diversity workshop two summers ago and we did a similar exercise (people were told to step backwards for some things). It was quite informative. At the end, we were told to all look around. A young African-American sociology professor was at the back of the line, just about where she had started, but *behind* her and *behind* the starting line was a 60-year old white woman with degrees from Harvard and Northeastern. She had taken several steps forward, but had taken steps backwards for almost all of the negatives brought up. It was interesting to think about that. Unfortunately, we did the exercise too near the end of that class session and didn't really get into it the next time we met.

[1ginko.livejournal.com]

Looking at the list here, I would be several steps behind the starting line, too. The criteria is v. date oriented. I would think a list appropriate for the 60 year old (and me) should read much differently. No one had phones in their room. No one had a computer. blah blah blah.

[dr-brat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the questions asked at the workshop were actually more appropriate to us old farts and included things like "if you're female, take a step backwards."